Recycling concerns could spur larger talks about a citywide curbside program in Mobile

"It's time for Mobile to get serious about recycling." - Mobile City Councilman John Williams

Greenie In A Bottle, the company handling curbside recycling in sections of Mobile, will go before the Mobile City Council next week to discuss changes in their program. The discussion could begin a more broader talk about the future of curbside recycling in Mobile. (File photo)

MOBILE, Alabama – A recycling program at the heart of much
criticism since it was implemented in November could lead to a more universal
discussion about offering curbside recycling throughout the city of Mobile.

Three City Council members today requested that Greenie In A
Bottle, the company that purchased the recycling program form The Newark Group,
come to next week's meeting and answer questions about their program.

"It's time for Mobile to get serious about recycling," said Councilman
John Williams, who along with Councilwomen Bess Rich and Gina Gregory, have
received frequent calls from constituents confused over the program's change. "We
need to do so very quickly. It needs to be in the beginning of the budget
discussions in June."

Universal program

But Mayor Sam Jones, following the meeting, said the costs
are too much to do a city-backed curbside program.

"Mobile is not financially able to provide for that service
unless it's one that pays for itself," Jones said. "So far, we haven't seen
that."

Williams, though, said the city ought to examine its garbage
contract with Waste Management to see if any changes can be made to introduce a
recycling program. He also said the city should examine if other large
companies – such as Allied Waste or Gulf Coast Containers – can be contacted
about possibly dividing the city up in an effort to introduce a program.

"We've proven on Government Street (at the recycling drop
off center) and with the demand in west Mobile that people in Mobile want to
recycle," Williams said. "Not only is it a need expressed by citizens of Mobile,
but it's more importantly an economic issue. We cannot afford to continue to
fill up space (in the landfill) when we can recycle."

Many city-wide recycling programs around the country are
administered by city governments, with residents either paying for the cost on a
utility bill or with the city incurring the costs through its budget.

Bob Haskins, coordinator for Keep Mobile Beautiful, a city
department, said the success of a community-wide curbside recycling program
depends on "how much emphasis the government puts" on it. Education is the
biggest part of it, Haskins said.

"Recycling programs aren't something you just mention once
or twice and move onto something else," he said. "It has to be a continuous
program with education."

Dealing with Greenie

Williams said any community-wide program likely would not
include Greenie In A Bottle.

"Greenie In A Bottle only has proven they cannot do business
properly," he said.

K.D. Johnston, owner of Greenie In A Bottle, said the
customers he has have been satisfied with the program, even after it went from
a free service provided by The Newark Group, to a $3 per week charge for
single-stream pickup.

Johnston said he has about 4,000 paying customers who are
mostly located west of Interstate 65. The Newark Group, which handled the paper
recycling program for about 14,000 Mobile customers for several years, sold its
recycling program to Greenie In A Bottle largely because of rising costs.

"It had been something that had been free for so long and
then it goes away, of course, people are going to be kind of not so
enthusiastic about paying for it," Johnston said.

Neither the Greenie In A Bottle nor The Newark Group
recycling programs are or have been administered by the city.